Capricorn Highway to Gracemere Duplication Project overview

September 2019

The – Rockhampton to Gracemere Duplication project will improve safety and enhance the capacity of the highway improving connectivity and travel times for highway users.

About the project It will deliver safety benefits with dual highway carriageways reducing the risk of head-on crashes. Increasing the highway The $74.99 million project is funded through the capacity from two to four lanes removes the need for high- Northern Roads Program with the Australian risk overtaking manoeuvres and on-road cycle facilities will Government contributing $59.99 million and the separate cyclists from high-speed highway traffic. Government contributing $15 million. Over five kilometres of the Capricorn Highway between Key design features: Rockhampton and Gracemere will be widened from • A four-lane separated highway between two to four lanes and existing intersections will be re- Rockhampton and Gracemere with a new eastbound designed to improve traffic operations and safety. carriageway. In December 2018, the Department of Transport and • Intersection upgrades including dedicated turn Main Roads (TMR) appointed Fulton Hogan to design lanes, improved sight distance, new linemarking and construct the upgrade. and lighting. Detailed design is progressing with construction to • New active transport infrastructure including on- start in late 2019. The Capricorn Highway between road cycling facilities and a new westbound cyclist Rockhampton and Gracemere is an east-west route bridge at Scrubby Creek. which forms part of ’s principal freight, commuter and tourism networks—linking the • A new two lane eastbound bridge at Scrubby Creek. to Outback Queensland. • A signalised intersection at Fairy Bower Road and Old Gracemere Road. Project benefits • Local road improvements on Nelson Street and Duplicating the Capricorn Highway between Rockhampton Stanley Road to maintain local access. and Gracemere will deliver safety and capacity improvements • Service protection work for underground utilities to ease congestion and improve travel times. Intersection upgrades at Old Capricorn Highway/Fairy Bower Road including gas and water. intersection and McLaughlin Street intersection will provide • Pavement improvements on the existing Capricorn for safer access to the highway for all road users. Highway carriageway and at the Yeppen roundabout. The concept design provides an optimal traffic solution to ease congestion and improve travel times for around 18,000 • Provision for a new school bus facility at Fairy Bower vehicles per day using the Capricorn Highway. It also ensures Road. the highway can cater for future traffic growth in the region. Concept Design Capricorn Highway – Rockhampton to Gracemere Duplication

INSET B LEGEND HIGHWAY UPGRADE STRUCTURES N CLOSURE OF OLD CLOSURE OF CYCLIST BRIDGE NELSON ST CAPRICORN HWY Local road for property access INTERSECTION NEW ROAD/LOCAL CONNECTION NEW ADDITIONAL TWO-

LANE SCRUBBY CREEK Fairy Bower Rd BRIDGE AND CYCLIST/ PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

Old Capricorn Hwy NEW SIGNALISED INTERSECTION INSET A NEW TWO-LANE MCLAUGHLIN ST EASTBOUND INTERSECTION CARRIAGEWAY UPGRADE Old Gracemere Rd

INSET B

NEW LOCAL

Scrubby Creek CONNECTION Reservoir St

Sunset Cres

Sunset Dr Local road for property access

Archer Rd INSET A Yeppen Lagoon Old Capricorn Hwy Fairy Bower Rd

McLaughlin St GRACEMERE

TO ROCKHAMPTON

Capricorn Hwy

Old Gracemere Rd

0HPEHURIWKH6XUEDQD-XURQJ*URXS & $%1 /(9(/673$8/67(55$&( )257,78'(9$//(<4/' 3+)$; 5(9,6,21

2 3 Current project status Over the coming months, TMR will focus on detailed design work to prepare a final design for construction. During detailed design, the project team will continue to refine the concept design between Fairy Bower Road and the Scrubby Creek bridge to allow for future integration of the Rockhampton Ring Road. As identified in the Fitzroy River Floodplain and Road Plan Study, the Rockhampton – Gracemere Duplication will integrate with major infrastructure already completed, including Yeppen North and Yeppen South, as well as the Rockhampton Northern Access Upgrade (currently in development) and the future Rockhampton Ring Road. What’s next? Site investigation works to inform the detailed design Site investigation works have been undertaken at Scrubby Creek in preparation for bridge construction will continue. This includes activities such as survey, to commence from October 2019. geotechnical and pavement investigations. Project timeline Managing traffic through this busy corridor will remain an important consideration in delivering the upgrade. Activity Timeframe Status To ensure traffic flow is maintained, construction Contract Award November 2018  activities will initially focus on areas adjacent to the existing highway. Road users can expect to see Site investigations April–August 2019  changed traffic conditions in place, including reduced Concept design released September 2019  speed limits, when construction commences. Site establishment Early October 2019 Site establishment will commence from October 2019 Construction works Late 2019 to allow early bridge construction activities at Scrubby commence Creek to begin ahead of major construction. Finalisation of detailed Late 2019 design Construction complete Early 2021

Subscribe to receive free updates To receive regular project updates during construction, register your details by contacting the project team.

Contact us facebook.com/TMRQld Free call: 1800 531 855* Follow: twitter.com/TMRQld *Charges may apply for calls from mobile phones and pay phones. Check with your service provider for call costs. Post: Capricorn Highway – Rockhampton to Email: [email protected] Gracemere Duplication Project Department of Transport and Main Roads Visit: www.tmr.qld.gov.au/CapricornHighwayDuplication Fitzroy District PO Box 5096 Red Hill Rockhampton Qld 4701